Autographic register



Feb. 23, 1943. A. w. METZNER AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Filed Se t. 8, 1941 llllllllllllll INVENT ALBERTWMZZ ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 23, 1943 AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Albert W. Metzner, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application September 8, 1941, Serial No. 409,933

14 Claims.

This invention pertains to writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a strip of continuous series connected detachable forms is progressively advanced past a record receiving position, and more particularly to means for facilitating back feeding or retraction past the record receiving position of the previously advanced forms.

There are some conditions and circumstances wherein it is desired to make additions, changes or corrections of previously inscribed records before the record strips are separated into indi vidual leaves. For instance, in a gravel, coal, or other delivery business, it may be desired to enter on a single record form the data as to plural loads of material delivered at different times during the days business. Under other conditions it may be convenient to make out a series of merchandise or service sales records as transactions occur without the entry of prices thereon until a later time. In such event it becomes necessary to back track the series of record strips until the particular previously inscribed form is again brought to record receiving position for the entry of additional items thereof, or the correction or change of previous entries. In the event that prices or charges are determined and entered by an accountant at the end of a days business, or the conclusion of some time period, it is necessary to feed the strips reversely in-order that each previously inscribed form may again be presented in writing position to receive such additional entry. It is found in practice that there are many instances wherein it is desirable to be able to feed the record strips alternately in opposite directions to present any particular form or set of forms a second time in the record receiving position.

Obviously, as usually constructed conventional writing and imprinting apparatus will not accommodate the reverse accumulation of record material and the retracted record material will be caused to buckle and bulge, and will eventually clog the machine. In the present disclosure a very simple but effective provision is made for initially taking up the slack in the retracted strips and subsequently guiding the record strip into position wherein it automatically refolds into a packet upon the original fold lines.

For illustrative purpose, but with no intent to unduly limit the scope or application of the invention, it is herein illustrated and described as applied to a conventional form of autographic register, wherein a plurality of superposed recrd strips are advanced from a source of supply past a recording position, and at least a portion thereof are stored for subsequent examination or further treatment. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to autographic registers, but in suitable form may be applied to other writing and imprinting machines, including typewriters, tabulating, billing and addressing machines, and other analogous apparatus.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction, as well as the means and mode of operation of Writing and imprinting machines, whereby they may be equipped with record material retractive means which may not only be economically manufactured, but will be efflcient in use, automatic in operation, uniform in action, having relatively few operating parts, and unlikely to get out of repair.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a writing or imprinting apparatus for use with continuous series connected form stationery, wherein reverse feeding of the record material past the writing position is facilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide record strip tensioning and guiding means for directing the record material strip while being retracted in reverse direction past the writing position and prevent buckling or unsystematic accumulation thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a movable record material guide for continuous strip stationery when used in a writing or imprinting apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for enabling continuous record strips to be reversely fed without buckling, bulging or accumulating in a bulky mass, but which will direct the retracted strips systematically into compact packet form.

A further object of the invention is to provide record strip retrieving means having the advantageous structural features and inherent meritorious characteristics and mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an autographic utilizes plural superposed strips of marginally punched series connected detachable forms. The register is equipped with pin wheel strip feeding means which is operable either forwardly or backwardly to feed the material in either direction over the writing tablet.

The register comprises a cabinet I having a.

hinged lid or cover 2 provided with an opening 3. superposed record strips 4 are advanced from a supply packet 5 within a supply compartment of the cabinet, over a writing tablet beneath the lid opening 3, and all or only a portion of the strips are returned to the cabinet where they are refolded into a packet 6 in a storage compartment of the cabinet. At the writing position beneath the lid opening 3 and over the writing tablet, the record strips are transversely interleaved with strips of carbon or transfer material extending from a supply roll 1 thereof at one side of the cabinet, the ends of which are securely held by a clamp bar 8 at the opposite side of the cabinet. To prevent interference with and mutilation of the transfer material by the advancing record strips 4, the latter are guided onto the writing tablet and over and under the superposed transfer strips, by being passed between guide rods 9 and flexible shields l attached to the rods.

The superposed record strips 4 are uniformly advanced and corresponding record receiving areas thereof are registered with each other and aligned with the writing position by revoluble pin wheels ll progressively engageable in marginally punched holes 4a in the record strips 4. The pin wheels I l are carried upon a transverse shaft l2 which is revoluble in either direction by a crank handle [3. Overlying the pin wheels is a transverse hold-down or guide bar I4, which prevents accidental disengagement of the strips 4 from the pin wheels, and provides a tearing edge against which succeeding portions of the strips may be severed from the supply lengths thereof. The hold-down bar and tear-oil knife is carried by spring influenced arms l5, which are pivoted at l 6. A detent I1 is engageable with a shoulder 13 on one of the arms l to temporarily retain the bar I4 in elevated position while the record strips are initially engaged with the pin wheels.

As thus far described, the structure is substantially that of a conventional autographic register, except that not all registers are capable of operation in reverse direction.

Intermediate the supply pack 5 and the individual guide rods 9,, the strips 4 pass collectively about a guide roller [9 common thereto, Heretofore such common guide roller has usually been either stationary within the cabinet or attached to the end of the writing tablet. However, in the present arrangement the guide roller I9 is mounted on therear end wall IQ of the cabinet I, and the end wall is hinged at its bottom for outward and downward swinging movement. The swinging end wall I9 is normally held in upright closed position by the overlapping rear margin of the lid or cover 2, and is released by slight elevation of the lid 2 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. It is thus released preparatory to retractive feeding of the record strips from the storage packet 6 at the front of the cabinet, thence rearwardly over the writing tablet. The hinged rear wall tending to fall rearwardly by gravity exerts an initial tension on the bight 20 of the strips in which the guide roller I9 is engaged. During the initial period of retraction of the record material, the hinged wall section i9 is temporarily supported by the bight 20 and is gradually lowered as the bight is elongated. The tension exerted upon the retracted portion of the strips by the weight of the rear wall I9 is sufficient to prevent buckling or bulging of the strips. As the strips are retracted and the bight 20 is extended the end wall I9 turning outwardly and downwardly by gravity continues to tension the retracted portion of the strips until finally the hinged end wall 19 assumes the re verse vertically suspended position as shown in Fig. 1. By the time the descending end wall and guide roller l9 will have drawn the bight '20 of the strips to the limit of their range of movement, the accumulation of the retracted portion of the strips contained in the bight will be of sufiicient weight to continue to retrieve the retracted portion of the strips by gravity. The descending portion "2| of the retracted strips falling upon the floor or upon a shelf 22 will automatically reform itself on its original fold lines into a packet 23.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages. Y V

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an autographic register, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced from a source of supply past a record receiving position, a cabinet having therein a supply compartment for record material before inscription and a storage compartment for an inscribed portion of the record material, a writing tablet over which the record material is advanced, a reversible strip feeding device for adadvancing the strip of record material from the supply compartment over the writing tablet to the storage compartment and vice versa, a wall section of said cabinet hinged at its bottom for outwardl and downwardly swinging motion, a record material strip guide on said hinged wall section about which a bight of record material passes intermediate the supply compartment and the writing tablet, said. cabinet wall section and guide being temporarily'supported by the bight of record material when moved away from erect position, and being permitted to swing outwardly and downwardly only as said bight is elongated by retraction of the record material, and serving to maintain the retracted portion of the strip under retractive tension by gravity until said wall section reaches the limit of its swinging motion when the inherent weight of the accumulated retracted portion of the record strip will be sufficient to exert continuing retractive tension thereon to prevent buckling of the strip.

2. In an autographic register of the type wherein a continuous strip of record receiving material is progressively advanced from a supply thereof past a record receiving position, a cabinet having a record material supply compartment, a writing tablet over which the record material is advanced, a reversible strip feeding device for advancing the record material from the supply compartment past a record receiving position upon the writing tablet, a side wall portion of the cabinet hinged for outwardly and downwardly swinging motion, a guide roller carried by the swinging side wall portion about which a bight of record material extends from the supply compartment to the writing tablet, detent means for normally holding the swinging side wall portion in erect position, the construction and arrangement being such that upon release of the side wall portion the latter will tend to swing outwardly and downwardly by gravity and will exert retractive tension upon the bight of the record material in which the roller is engaged while the record material is being retracted by reverse operation to prevent buckling of the record material strip until said bight is sufficiently elongated to continue the retractive tensioning influence by gravity.

3. In an autographic register, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced from a supply thereof past a writing position, the combination with a reversible feeding device for retracting the record material after having been advanced past the writing position thereby, of an oscillatory gravity actuated strip guide having engagement in eccentric relation to its axis of oscillation with a bight of the record material intermediate the supply thereof and the strip feeding device and exerting retractive tensioning influence tending to extend the bight of material as the latter is retracted.

4. The herein described method of retrieving a previously advanced continuous strip of record material past the recording position of a writing or imprinting apparatus, including feeding the strip in reverse direction past the record receiving position, forming a bight of the record material intermediate the original supply thereof and the recording position, temporarily applying supplemental weight to the bight during such reverse feeding of the strip to progressively elongate the bight by exerting tensioning influence thereon in a downward direction by gravity as the strip of record material is retracted until the quantity of material contained in the bight is suflicient to continue the downwardly tensioning influence upon the portion of the strip being retracted, independently of the supplemental weight.

5. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced from a source of supply thereof past a record receiving position, means for retrieving the advanced portion of the strip, including a reversible strip feeding device by which the advanced portion of the strip may be retracted past the record receiving position, a hinged weighted member pivoted on the writing machine and suspended in a bight of said strip intermediate the source of supply thereof and the record receiving position by which said bight is elongated downwardly under gravity influence as the record strip is retracted, the weighted member being limited to a predetermined range of movement and gravity influence upon the bight of the strip, beyond which the bight is automatically elongated by the inherent weight of the record material contained therein.

6. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced from a source of supply thereof past a record receiving position, means for retrieving the advanced portion of the strip, including a reversible strip feeding device by which the advanced portion of the strip may be retracted past the record receiving position, a retractive tensioning device comprising a portion of the writing machine engaging with a portion of the strip for temporarily exerting pressure influence thereon complementary to the reverse feed during retraction of said strip until a sufiicient portion of the record strip shall have been retracted that the inherent weight of such retracted portion of the strip will continue tensioning influence thereon to prevent buckling of the strip.

7. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced from a source of supply thereof past a record receiving position, means for retrieving the advanced portion of the strip, including a reversible strip feeding device by which the advanced portion of the strip may be retracted past the record receiving position, and a traveling weight carried by the writing machine which during retraction of the strip is temporarily supported in a bight of said strip intermediate the source of supply and the record receiving position, and exerting retractive tensioning influence thereon by gravity as the strip of record material is retracted to prevent buckling of the strip until said weight reaches the limit of a prescribed path of travel, beyond which the bight of material continues to be elongated under gravity influence of the inherent weight of a portion of the strip contained therein.

8. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced from a source of supply thereof past a record receiving position, means for retrieving the advanced portion of the strip, including a reversible strip feeding device by which the advanced portion of the strip may be retracted past the record receiving position, and a retractive tensioning device which during retraction of the strip temporarily exerts retractive influence upon the strip to prevent buckling until the inherent weight of a retracted portion of the strip is suflicient to continue the retractive tensioning influence thereon.

9. The herein described method of retrieving a previously advanced strip of record material past a recording position of a writing or imprinting apparatus, including feeding the strip of record material reversely past the recording position, subjecting the strip during reverse feeding thereof to temporary initial retractive tensioning influence suflicient to prevent buckling of the retracted portion of the strip until a suflicient retracted portion of the strip is accumulated that the inherent Weight thereof will continue to exert retractive tensioning influence thereon by gravity and discontinuing said initial retractive tensioning influence.

10. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced past a record receiving position, means for retrieving the advanced portion of the strip, including means for feeding the strip in reverse direction, a pulling device temporarily exerting during the reverse feeding of the strip an initial retractive influence upon a portion of the strip to prevent buckling thereof, until a sufficient retracted portion of the strip is accumulated that the inherent weight thereof will continue to exert retractive tensioning influence thereon by gravity and means for restricting the range of influence of said initial pulling device.

11. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressivelyadvanced past a record receiving position, meansfor' retrieving the advanced portion of the strip, including means for feeding the strip in reverse direction, and a tensioning device operative during the reverse feeding of the strip for exerting retractive tensioning thereon additional to the inherent weight of the retracted portion of the strip to prevent buckling of the retracted portion of the strip.

12. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of zig-zag folded record material is progressively advanced past a record receiving position, means for retrieving the advanced portion of the strip, for refolding into zig-zag formation including a swinging gravity influenced guide movable from a position above its center of oscillation to aposition therebelow While engaged in a bight of the record strip to exert retractive influence thereon until a suificient portion of the strip is retracted to cause automatic retraction by the weight thereof, the retracted portion of the strip being automatically refoldable into zig-zag formation.

13. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced past a record receiving position and subsequently retracted relative to said record receiving position, and having a bight formed therein between its source of supply and the record receiving position, a swinging weighted member engaged in said bight and supported thereby above its center of oscillation during advancement of the strip, said weighted member being movable from its elevated position above its center of oscillation to a position dependent relative thereto in unison with the retraction of the strip, said weighted member being operative to elongate the bight of the strip in which it is engaged simultaneously with its swinging motion until a, sufficient portion of the strip is retracted to continue its retraction by the weight thereof.

14. In a writing or imprinting apparatus, wherein a continuous strip of zig-zag folded record material is progressively advanced past a recording position and. subsequently retracted in reverse direction, reversible strip feeding means, an oscillatory weight normally supported in elevated position above its center of oscillation by a bight of said strip in which it is engaged, said weight being movable in an arcuate path about its center of oscillation from its elevated position thereabove to a dependent position while supported in a lengthening bight of the strip as the strip is retracted until a sufficient portion or the strip is retracted to continue retraction by the weight thereof.

ALBERT W. METZNER. 

